1/04/2008

"After considerable outreach to Golden Globe actor nominees and their representatives over the past several weeks, there appears to be unanimous agreement that these actors will not cross WGA picket lines to appear on the Golden Globe Awards as acceptors or presenters. We applaud our members for this remarkable show of solidarity for striking Writers Guild of America writers.

We have also been asked about our position regarding network talk shows. We urge our members to appear on the two programs that have independent agreements with the WGA, late Night with David Letterman and Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. However, actors who are asked to appear on the struck network talk shows will have to cross WGA picket lines, creating the same situation that has led to the consensus among actors to skip the golden Globes.

As I have said since this strke began on November 5th, we must stand united with our brothers and sisters at the WGA."

A heartfelt thank you to our friends in SAG. It's one thing to proclaim your support (not pointing fingers, but his name rhymes with Lay Jeno) it's quite another to actually make a sacrifice for what is right. Thank you actors and I take back every snarky thing I ever said after a bad table read!

Are you guys kidding me???? Okay. Either I'm wet behind the ear and three shits (sheets, oops!) to the wind or you guys have pulled the wool over your head and eyes, perhaps your whole body!! You've been had by synthetic somethin...I'm talkin' synthetic like wolves in sheeps clothing. You should know Hollywood by now. No one is standing for anything. Everyone is out for themselves. Even the actors. If you really think that SAG actors are standing for us then go ask Ray Romano why he's been going to his office on the Warner lot crossing the picket line ever since this strike started? Go ahead, ask him!! Info obtained from a reliable source.

Oh, for frak's sake - doesn't sound "morethanreasonable" to me to sound so very breathy, bitter and unreasonable.

Even if your "reliable source" is actually reliable, one SAG actor not being supportive about the WGA doesn't say a damn thing about how great nor how meaningful this SAG announcement & support is. Your point is frankly just an irrelevancy, and a pretty transparent attempt to be a distracting downer...

Or - whatever you may need for your own philosophical and/or psychological and/or political reasons to think or say about the motives of the strikers and their supporters, this particular action of the SAG is huge - and yes, vdovault, will not be forgotten when it's SAG's time to negotiate...

Or maybe you are, as you yourself suggest, morethanreasonable, wet behind the ears.

The rest of us working on the strike and viewing it with some clarity and political savvy will understand why this major announcement of fellow union support is momentous and strategically significant...

From MSNBC:"The Writers Guild of America had refused to grant a waiver to allow its members to work on the Globes, the People’s Choice Awards and the prestigious Academy Awards."Am I wrong? The waivers are not to allow writers to work, but to allow the shows to use nominated-flim clips without paying clip fees. You'd think MSNBC could get this right, since NBC...well, maybe not.

I am at a loss for words here. Well, most of Hollywood is at loss for (written) words right now. But I am truly dumbfounded that this has gone on for so long. How can billion dollar companies refuse to do business with their greatest resources? It can't just be corporate greed. In the time it takes me to write this sentence they are losing more money than most of us will see in a lifetime. Right now, any CEO who comes forward and agrees to negotiate would look like a hero. And this ridiculous period of inaction on their part would likely be forgiven. All the writers want is something. And that seems impossible in an industry where these conglomerates would prefer to give them nothing. It's despicable. One would assume in a battle so public that the members of the AMPTP would want this resolved before their stock values plummet, never mind the fact that they would actually be doing the right thing. I guess I just thought decency would prevail. That ultimately even the AMPTP knew right from wrong and eventually they'd make a deal. I have been proven very wrong. We shouldn't have to get our friends with famous faces on our side to win this. The WGA should have succeeded on the very principal of the strike, that fair is fair. If that's not enough, then it's good to know the SGA has their backs. Let's just hope the right people notice...

I am so disapointed in the actors that will not cross picket lines to go to the golden globes or talk shows etc. I appreciate your loyalty to the writers, but what about your fans that have made you all famous? This has gone way too far and a compromise needs to happen soon.

They only the victory winWho have fought the good fight and have vanquished the demon that tempts us within;Who have held to their faith unseduced by the prize that the world holds on high;Who have dared for a high cause to suffer, resist, fight—if need be, to die.

They only the victory winWho have fought the good fight and have vanquished the demon that tempts us within;Who have held to their faith unseduced by the prize that the world holds on high;Who have dared for a high cause to suffer, resist, fight—if need be, to die.

Exactly, T. Lynn. The fans. Without fans, you would be nothing. That is why Leno is doing monologues. Not to piss of WGA, not to help AMPTP, but because he understands that the fans deserve a monologue.

Fans have been completely underappreciated during this whole process. Fans make you who you are. And I think the fans deserve some quality entertainment.

Union solidarity is a great thing, but the fact remains that the the globes approached WGA with the EXACT same terms as those accepted by WWP. This is obviously a publicity stunt, or the WGA would have accepted the SAME deal they already decided was fair!

wyndspeed, I really do think what the Globes was looking for was a waiver for clips to be used without fee. They might need writers, too, but the clips are a big deal, as with the Oscars. By denying them the waivers, the Guild is punishing NBC, against whom it is striking, not the independent production company (Dick Clark) who could make a deal with us any day, I assume, to have his shows written for him. This is what I understand to be the case, I am not anyone who can speak for the Guild.

Susan, simply put, it's because the publicity for a project is in the actors contract - legally they must show up for these things, it's part of the job. Individual contracts vary of course. An award show is entirely different and the actor is under no obligation to appear.

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